382:, back three centuries when the whole area was under forest, and doing it so convincingly, is a considerable feat. Doing it with such economic realism and keeping up a multiple pressure of plot makes it extraordinary". But Daniell's highest praise was reserved for the way Buchan presents "the ordinary people of the parish, the farmers who so represent the land that they are known by the names of their farms, the few cottagers, the herds and the elders and the children."
257:, the Kirk's religious court, which rejects it as circumstantial and unreliable. In retaliation, Caird brings counter-charges against the minister for harbouring a fugitive, for associating with Mark Riddel (now publicly identified as Mark Kerr), and for keeping the company of an unknown woman. Sempill is found guilty and is
237:
comes to
Woodilee. Sempill works to prevent its spread helped by a newcomer named Mark Riddel who, unknown to the locals, is in fact the fugitive Mark Kerr. Nursing care is surreptitiously provided by a shadowy figure whom the locals take to be a fairy but who is in fact Katrine Yester, niece of the
341:
thought that it "must be adjudged the greatest of Mr Buchan's published works. That it concerns the land and history of
Scotland, that it makes brilliant use of braid Scots dialect and that it enshrines many aspects, both admirable and contemptible, of the Scottish character are features that must
264:
On his way back from the hearing, Sempill meets
Ephraim Caird near the Black Wood. He forces Caird to enter, kneel before the pagan altar, and to make his choice between Christ and the devil. The effort is too much for Caird who runs off in demented terror and is killed in a fall. The minister is
51:
377:
is tightly enclosed, with everything taking place under a heavy, black, suffocating pall of evil. Buchan's writing, Daniell said, "catches the obscene out of the tail of the eye, where it is most effective"; "Projecting his own favourite
Scottish place,
184:, he recalls a legend about its last minister, who disappeared without trace 300 years ago. Locals believe that he was spirited away by the fairies or, as some maintain, by the devil.
293:, who appears as a minor character in the novel. His research had raised questions of religious tolerance which he wanted to explore. The story was originally known as
1310:
222:
rite in which figures wearing animal headpieces dance around a pagan altar. After attempting unsuccessfully to identify the ringleader, he manages to splash pungent
1458:
457:
1433:
980:
1453:
1203:
1084:
157:
430:
325:
Early critics were quick to recognise the significance of the novel, which has since come to be regarded as Buchan's masterpiece.
331:
called it "this powerful, charming and spiritually earnest novel which almost enables Mr Buchan to be called a modern and terse
290:
200:
777:
562:
537:
494:
1443:
1361:
1418:
349:
was the author's own favourite and has been described as "a masterful tale of godliness in conflict with wickedness."
1356:
1243:
658:
633:
587:
64:
1448:
1463:
1428:
734:
405:
1423:
1270:
749:
242:, to whom Sempill is secretly engaged. Katrine contracts the plague and dies. A local woman is accused by a
1413:
1408:
1387:
929:
379:
1294:
192:
230:
of the Kirk, Ephraim Caird, is discovered burning clothes on a fire which smells strongly of aniseed.
1235:
1068:
988:
833:
770:
17:
1438:
1251:
1227:
1219:
964:
948:
1366:
1060:
1052:
246:
of being a witch and in spite of the best efforts of
Sempill and Riddel is tortured and killed.
1137:
904:
884:
250:
265:
never after that day seen again, giving rise to the legend mentioned in the novel's prologue.
1012:
801:
690:
310:
1177:
1142:
1112:
1020:
996:
956:
913:
763:
396:
362:
358:
337:
227:
204:
103:
8:
1329:
1211:
841:
401:
254:
187:
The story opens in 1644 with the coming of David
Sempill, newly-ordained minister of the
357:
specially I am always grateful; all that devilment sprouting up out of a beginning like
1302:
1044:
825:
199:, and he finds himself attracted to the creed of Mark Kerr, a fugitive and follower of
188:
176:
In a prologue to the novel, the narrator muses on the rural parish of
Woodilee in the
1107:
1028:
1004:
876:
713:
679:
654:
629:
583:
558:
533:
490:
215:
611:
Pastors in the
Classics: Timeless Lessons on Life and Ministry from World Literature
1127:
1076:
972:
892:
462:
234:
177:
153:
108:
85:
728:
1169:
1152:
1117:
1102:
860:
740:
314:
285:
258:
1132:
1122:
467:
165:
75:
1402:
1147:
482:
327:
306:
219:
35:
207:
and enemy of the Kirk. When Kerr is injured, the minister hides him in the
1351:
817:
606:
602:
332:
195:. Sempill is less committed to strict doctrinal practices than many of the
1286:
868:
809:
786:
350:
149:
707:
673:
164:, and the fate of Scotland. A significant portion of the dialogue is in
1371:
921:
196:
31:
161:
268:
In an epilogue, it is revealed that
Sempill and Kerr had ridden to
243:
160:, and combines the author's interests in landscape, 17th century
152:
that critics have called his masterpiece. The book is set in the
755:
511:
The
Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft
269:
239:
223:
208:
50:
226:
oil onto the ringleader's clothes. The wife of a prominent
181:
455:
Matthew, H. C. G. "Buchan, John, first Baron Tweedsmuir".
272:
and had boarded the first available ship out of Scotland.
394:
but neither version is known to have survived, first for
391:
191:, to Woodilee, a parish passionate in its support of the
697:
Haunted TV: A History of British Supernatural Television
404:
as Sempill, then in 1964 as a four-episode series, with
390:The novel was adapted for television twice by the
249:Sempill presents his evidence of Ephraim Caird's
1400:
653:. Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd. pp. 182–184.
628:. Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd. pp. 181–182.
218:of Melanudrigill the minister stumbles across a
642:
513:. New York: Oxford University Press. Page 199.
342:give satisfaction to Mr Buchan's countrymen".
981:The Watcher by the Threshold, and other tales
771:
1459:British novels adapted into television shows
461:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
30:"Witchwood" redirects here. For the book by
1204:The Battles of Coronel and Falkland Islands
582:. Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd. p. 181.
523:
521:
519:
1085:The Far Islands and Other Tales of Fantasy
778:
764:
289:, the revised version of his biography of
49:
571:
466:
283:was written while Buchan was researching
546:
516:
475:
648:
623:
577:
458:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
425:
423:
421:
148:is a 1927 novel by the Scottish author
14:
1401:
555:John Buchan: The Presbyterian Cavalier
552:
530:John Buchan: The Presbyterian Cavalier
527:
487:John Buchan: The Presbyterian Cavalier
481:
291:James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
1434:British supernatural television shows
759:
750:Glossary of Scots words in Witch Wood
320:
616:
418:
1454:Novels about witches and witchcraft
557:. Thistle Publishing. p. 207.
532:. Thistle Publishing. p. 208.
489:. Thistle Publishing. p. 206.
454:
448:
180:. Looking at its now-ruined parish
24:
25:
1475:
722:
373:(1975), David Daniell noted that
785:
701:
684:
667:
261:and ejected from his ministry.
596:
503:
431:"British Library Item details"
385:
13:
1:
411:
305:. According to the historian
275:
1444:Hodder & Stoughton books
366:. That's the way to do it".
297:and was first serialised in
7:
930:The House of the Four Winds
10:
1480:
158:Wars of the Three Kingdoms
29:
1419:British historical novels
1380:
1344:
1321:
1262:
1195:
1188:
1161:
1095:
1069:A Prince of the Captivity
989:A Lodge in the Wilderness
940:
903:
852:
834:The Courts of the Morning
793:
133:
125:
115:
99:
91:
81:
70:
60:
48:
27:1927 novel by John Buchan
965:A Lost Lady of Old Years
949:Sir Quixote of the Moors
309:, it was based upon the
295:The Minister of Woodilee
214:One night in the feared
1449:Novels set in the 1640s
1367:Alastair Francis Buchan
1061:The Magic Walking Stick
1053:The Blanket of the Dark
651:The Interpreter's House
649:Daniell, David (1975).
626:The Interpreter's House
624:Daniell, David (1975).
580:The Interpreter's House
578:Daniell, David (1975).
553:Lownie, Andrew (2013).
528:Lownie, Andrew (2013).
509:Hutton, Ronald (1999).
371:The Interpreter's House
171:
55:1st edition dust jacket
1464:Houghton Mifflin books
1429:Novels set in Scotland
905:Dickson McCunn trilogy
885:The Gap in the Curtain
468:10.1093/ref:odnb/32145
345:Of the Buchan novels,
313:of the anthropologist
1424:Novels by John Buchan
1372:Anna Masterton Buchan
1244:The Thirty Nine Steps
1013:Salute to Adventurers
853:Edward Leithen novels
802:The Thirty-Nine Steps
794:Richard Hannay novels
311:Witch-cult hypothesis
1178:Memory Hold-the-Door
1143:John Palliser-Yeates
1113:Sir Walter Bullivant
1021:The Path of the King
957:John Burnet of Barns
397:Sunday Night Theatre
363:Annals of the Parish
104:Hodder and Stoughton
1414:Fiction set in 1644
1409:1927 British novels
842:The Island of Sheep
752:Glashan, Roy, 2004.
203:, supporter of the
45:
1271:The Three Hostages
1236:The Three Hostages
1045:The Runagates Club
826:The Three Hostages
741:Online version of
321:Critical reception
189:Church of Scotland
43:
1396:
1395:
1340:
1339:
1255:(2008) (TV movie)
1239:(1977) (TV movie)
1108:John S. Blenkiron
1005:The Moon Endureth
877:The Dancing Floor
709:Witch Wood (1964)
675:Witch Wood (1954)
609:and Todd Wilson,
564:978-1-909609-99-0
539:978-1-909609-99-0
496:978-1-909609-99-0
141:
140:
16:(Redirected from
1471:
1193:
1192:
1128:Charles Lamancha
1077:The Free Fishers
973:The Half-Hearted
893:Sick Heart River
780:
773:
766:
757:
756:
716:
705:
699:
688:
682:
671:
665:
664:
646:
640:
639:
620:
614:
600:
594:
593:
575:
569:
568:
550:
544:
543:
525:
514:
507:
501:
500:
479:
473:
472:
470:
452:
446:
445:
443:
441:
427:
301:under the title
178:Scottish Borders
154:Scottish Borders
117:Publication date
109:Houghton Mifflin
86:Historical novel
53:
46:
42:
21:
1479:
1478:
1474:
1473:
1472:
1470:
1469:
1468:
1439:Scottish novels
1399:
1398:
1397:
1392:
1376:
1352:Susan Grosvenor
1336:
1317:
1258:
1184:
1157:
1153:Archie Roylance
1118:Hilda von Einem
1103:Sandy Arbuthnot
1091:
936:
899:
861:The Power-House
848:
789:
784:
745:at Gutenberg.au
725:
720:
719:
706:
702:
689:
685:
672:
668:
661:
647:
643:
636:
621:
617:
601:
597:
590:
576:
572:
565:
551:
547:
540:
526:
517:
508:
504:
497:
480:
476:
453:
449:
439:
437:
429:
428:
419:
414:
388:
323:
315:Margaret Murray
303:The High Places
278:
174:
126:Media type
118:
107:
56:
39:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1477:
1467:
1466:
1461:
1456:
1451:
1446:
1441:
1436:
1431:
1426:
1421:
1416:
1411:
1394:
1393:
1391:
1390:
1384:
1382:
1378:
1377:
1375:
1374:
1369:
1364:
1362:William Buchan
1359:
1354:
1348:
1346:
1342:
1341:
1338:
1337:
1335:
1334:
1325:
1323:
1319:
1318:
1316:
1315:
1307:
1299:
1291:
1283:
1275:
1266:
1264:
1260:
1259:
1257:
1256:
1248:
1240:
1232:
1224:
1216:
1208:
1199:
1197:
1190:
1186:
1185:
1183:
1182:
1174:
1165:
1163:
1159:
1158:
1156:
1155:
1150:
1145:
1140:
1138:Dickson McCunn
1135:
1133:Edward Leithen
1130:
1125:
1123:Richard Hannay
1120:
1115:
1110:
1105:
1099:
1097:
1093:
1092:
1090:
1089:
1081:
1073:
1065:
1057:
1049:
1041:
1033:
1025:
1017:
1009:
1001:
993:
985:
977:
969:
961:
953:
944:
942:
938:
937:
935:
934:
926:
918:
909:
907:
901:
900:
898:
897:
889:
881:
873:
865:
856:
854:
850:
849:
847:
846:
838:
830:
822:
814:
806:
797:
795:
791:
790:
783:
782:
775:
768:
760:
754:
753:
747:
738:
724:
723:External links
721:
718:
717:
700:
683:
666:
659:
641:
634:
615:
595:
588:
570:
563:
545:
538:
515:
502:
495:
483:Lownie, Andrew
474:
447:
435:primocat.bl.uk
416:
415:
413:
410:
406:Donald Douglas
400:in 1954, with
387:
384:
338:Glasgow Herald
322:
319:
299:British Weekly
277:
274:
259:excommunicated
173:
170:
139:
138:
135:
131:
130:
127:
123:
122:
119:
116:
113:
112:
101:
97:
96:
93:
89:
88:
83:
79:
78:
72:
68:
67:
62:
58:
57:
54:
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1476:
1465:
1462:
1460:
1457:
1455:
1452:
1450:
1447:
1445:
1442:
1440:
1437:
1435:
1432:
1430:
1427:
1425:
1422:
1420:
1417:
1415:
1412:
1410:
1407:
1406:
1404:
1389:
1386:
1385:
1383:
1379:
1373:
1370:
1368:
1365:
1363:
1360:
1358:
1355:
1353:
1350:
1349:
1347:
1343:
1332:
1331:
1327:
1326:
1324:
1320:
1313:
1312:
1308:
1305:
1304:
1300:
1297:
1296:
1292:
1289:
1288:
1284:
1281:
1280:
1276:
1273:
1272:
1268:
1267:
1265:
1261:
1254:
1253:
1249:
1246:
1245:
1241:
1238:
1237:
1233:
1230:
1229:
1225:
1222:
1221:
1217:
1214:
1213:
1209:
1206:
1205:
1201:
1200:
1198:
1194:
1191:
1187:
1180:
1179:
1175:
1172:
1171:
1167:
1166:
1164:
1160:
1154:
1151:
1149:
1148:Peter Pienaar
1146:
1144:
1141:
1139:
1136:
1134:
1131:
1129:
1126:
1124:
1121:
1119:
1116:
1114:
1111:
1109:
1106:
1104:
1101:
1100:
1098:
1094:
1087:
1086:
1082:
1079:
1078:
1074:
1071:
1070:
1066:
1063:
1062:
1058:
1055:
1054:
1050:
1047:
1046:
1042:
1039:
1038:
1034:
1031:
1030:
1026:
1023:
1022:
1018:
1015:
1014:
1010:
1007:
1006:
1002:
999:
998:
994:
991:
990:
986:
983:
982:
978:
975:
974:
970:
967:
966:
962:
959:
958:
954:
951:
950:
946:
945:
943:
941:Other fiction
939:
932:
931:
927:
924:
923:
919:
916:
915:
911:
910:
908:
906:
902:
895:
894:
890:
887:
886:
882:
879:
878:
874:
871:
870:
866:
863:
862:
858:
857:
855:
851:
844:
843:
839:
836:
835:
831:
828:
827:
823:
820:
819:
815:
812:
811:
807:
804:
803:
799:
798:
796:
792:
788:
781:
776:
774:
769:
767:
762:
761:
758:
751:
748:
746:
744:
739:
736:
732:
731:
727:
726:
715:
711:
710:
704:
698:
694:
693:
687:
681:
677:
676:
670:
662:
660:0-17-146051-0
656:
652:
645:
637:
635:0-17-146051-0
631:
627:
619:
612:
608:
604:
599:
591:
589:0-17-146051-0
585:
581:
574:
566:
560:
556:
549:
541:
535:
531:
524:
522:
520:
512:
506:
498:
492:
488:
484:
478:
469:
464:
460:
459:
451:
436:
432:
426:
424:
422:
417:
409:
408:in the role.
407:
403:
399:
398:
393:
383:
381:
376:
372:
367:
365:
364:
360:
356:
352:
348:
343:
340:
339:
334:
330:
329:
328:The Spectator
318:
316:
312:
308:
307:Ronald Hutton
304:
300:
296:
292:
288:
287:
282:
273:
271:
266:
262:
260:
256:
252:
247:
245:
241:
236:
231:
229:
225:
221:
217:
212:
210:
206:
202:
201:Lord Montrose
198:
194:
190:
185:
183:
179:
169:
167:
163:
159:
155:
151:
147:
146:
136:
132:
128:
124:
120:
114:
110:
105:
102:
98:
94:
90:
87:
84:
80:
77:
73:
69:
66:
63:
59:
52:
47:
41:
37:
36:The Kine Saga
33:
19:
1330:The 39 Steps
1328:
1311:The 39 Steps
1309:
1301:
1295:Huntingtower
1293:
1285:
1278:
1277:
1269:
1252:The 39 Steps
1250:
1242:
1234:
1228:The 39 Steps
1226:
1220:The 39 Steps
1218:
1212:Huntingtower
1210:
1202:
1176:
1168:
1083:
1075:
1067:
1059:
1051:
1043:
1036:
1035:
1027:
1019:
1011:
1003:
997:Prester John
995:
987:
979:
971:
963:
955:
947:
928:
920:
914:Huntingtower
912:
891:
883:
875:
867:
859:
840:
832:
824:
818:Mr Standfast
816:
808:
800:
742:
729:
708:
703:
696:
691:
686:
674:
669:
650:
644:
625:
618:
610:
607:Philip Ryken
603:Leland Ryken
598:
579:
573:
554:
548:
529:
510:
505:
486:
477:
456:
450:
438:. Retrieved
434:
395:
389:
374:
370:
368:
361:
354:
353:wrote, "for
346:
344:
336:
333:Walter Scott
326:
324:
302:
298:
294:
284:
280:
279:
267:
263:
248:
232:
213:
186:
175:
144:
143:
142:
40:
1357:John Buchan
1287:John Macnab
1189:Adaptations
1162:Non-fiction
869:John Macnab
810:Greenmantle
787:John Buchan
402:Tom Fleming
386:Adaptations
351:C. S. Lewis
335:", and the
197:Covenanters
156:during the
150:John Buchan
92:Set in
65:John Buchan
44:Witch Wood
32:A. R. Lloyd
1403:Categories
1279:Witch Wood
1096:Characters
1037:Witch Wood
922:Castle Gay
743:Witch Wood
735:Faded Page
730:Witch Wood
692:Witch Wood
622:Quoted in
440:20 January
412:References
375:Witch Wood
355:Witch Wood
347:Witch Wood
281:Witch Wood
276:Background
255:presbytery
216:Black Wood
145:Witch Wood
1306:(1988–89)
1263:TV series
1029:Midwinter
380:Broughton
162:Calvinism
100:Publisher
74:English,
18:Witchwood
1170:Montrose
737:(Canada)
613:, p. 48.
485:(2013).
286:Montrose
220:diabolic
193:Covenant
95:Scotland
71:Language
253:to the
244:pricker
224:aniseed
1345:Family
1333:(play)
1314:(2024)
1303:Hannay
1298:(1978)
1290:(1976)
1282:(1954)
1274:(1952)
1247:(1978)
1231:(1959)
1223:(1935)
1215:(1928)
1207:(1927)
1181:(1940)
1173:(1928)
1088:(1984)
1080:(1934)
1072:(1933)
1064:(1932)
1056:(1931)
1048:(1928)
1040:(1927)
1032:(1923)
1024:(1921)
1016:(1915)
1008:(1912)
1000:(1910)
992:(1906)
984:(1906)
976:(1900)
968:(1899)
960:(1898)
952:(1895)
933:(1935)
925:(1930)
917:(1922)
896:(1941)
888:(1932)
880:(1926)
872:(1925)
864:(1916)
845:(1936)
837:(1929)
829:(1924)
821:(1919)
813:(1916)
805:(1915)
657:
632:
586:
561:
536:
493:
359:Galt’s
251:heresy
238:local
235:plague
61:Author
34:, see
1388:Works
1381:Other
1322:Other
1196:Films
270:Leith
240:laird
228:elder
209:manse
166:Scots
134:Pages
129:Print
82:Genre
76:Scots
714:IMDb
680:IMDb
655:ISBN
630:ISBN
584:ISBN
559:ISBN
534:ISBN
491:ISBN
442:2018
233:The
205:King
182:kirk
172:Plot
121:1927
111:(US)
106:(UK)
733:at
712:at
695:at
678:at
463:doi
392:BBC
369:In
137:380
1405::
605:,
518:^
433:.
420:^
317:.
211:.
168:.
779:e
772:t
765:v
663:.
638:.
592:.
567:.
542:.
499:.
471:.
465::
444:.
38:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
